Scaevola

( SEE - vuh - luh )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus of flowering perennials and evergreen shrubs needs full sun and moderate to regular water. Flowers on these shrubs are prized for their shape; they look like small fans connected to the stems, giving rise to their common names Fan Flower and Fairy Fan Flower. Scaevola shrubs are called Naupaka in Hawai'i. They are native to Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean. Some species are evergreen, others are not; they are often grown as annuals in cooler regions. Scaevola is wonderful for hanging baskets, window boxes, and in containers, and can also serve as a small-scale groundcover.

Scaevola Species and Varietals

First described by Carl Linnaeus in 1771, the genus Scaevola includes 130 species and is a member of the plant family Goodeniaceae. Scaevola represents the only member of its plant family to be widespread outside of Australia. Scaevola is named for the Roman hero Mutius Scaevola, who reportedly burned off one of his hands to prove his bravery. Scaevola grows well in zones 8, 9, 14-24, H1 and H2. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
Scaevola aemula (Fairy Fan Flower, Common Fan-Flower)
This perennial is native to Australia and has a variable habit. Some forms are ground-huggers, others have upright habits and reach about 2.5 feet tall, and still others trail or sprawl to up to 6 feet wide. It is the most widely cultivated species of the genus in home gardens. This species is available mainly through its varieties, described and listed here.
'Blue Fan' and 'Blue Ribbon'
Similar plants that grow to about a foot tall and a little less wide. 
'Fairy Blue' and 'Fairy White'
Reach 10 inches tall and 2 feet wide, with either blue or white flowers.
'New Wonder'
To 10 inches tall and 2 feet wide.
'Whirlwind Blue' and 'Whirlwind White'
To 2 feet wide and 10 inches tall, with either blue or white flowers. Pictured: 'Whirlwind Blue'
'Top Pot Blue' and 'Top Pot White'
1 foot tall and 3-5 feet wide.
'Top Pot Pink'
To a foot tall and 3 feet wide.

Scaevola albida (Pale Fan Flower, Small-Fruit Fan Flower)
This perennial is native to Australia and forms a mat 4-6 inches tall and 3-5 feet wide. Varieties include 'Mauve Clusters' (with lilac-mauve flowers) and 'Alba' (with white flowers). Both of these selections are wonderful small-scale, long-lived groundcovers.

Scaevola calendulacea (Dune Fan-Flower)
These plants are small, and form mats of foliage with blue fan-shaped flowers with yellow centers. They are native to Australia, where they grow in sand dune landscapes. Individual plants reach up to 16 inches tall at maturity, and produce green foliage with flattened hairs.

Scaevola chamissoniana (Mountain Naupaka, Naupaka Kuahiwi)
These plants are native to wet forests and open areas in the Hawaiian Islands, and were first described by French botanist Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupre. The species forms a shrubby plant to between 2 and 10 feet tall with toothed, green somewhat succulent foliage. Flowers are typically white, blooming sporadically throughout the year.

Scaevola collaris
These plants reach up to just 1.5 feet tall when mature, ad produce erect, smooth stems and yellow-cream-mauve flowers that bloom from May through November in the plant's native range (Australia). Foliage is grey-green and linear.

Scaevola crassifolia (Cushion Fanflower, Thick-Leaved Fanflower, Thick-Leaved Scaevola)
These plants are native to western and southern areas of Austrlia, where they bloom from July through February. Individual plants reach up to 60 inches tall at maturity, and produce thick, fleshy foliage and light blue or pale purple flowers.

Scaevola depauperata (Skeleton Fan Flower)
This species is a small understory shrub that prefers to grow in sand dunes and other sandy soils. It is native to mainland Australia, and forms an upright plant to over 3 feet tall with cream, blue, or mauve flowers, occasionally seen with darker markings or lines on petals. Flowers bloom from April through December in the plant's native range.

Scaevola enantophylla (Climbing Fan-Flower)
These plants are climbing, scrambling vines with yellow fan-shaped flowers. They can reach up to 13 feet long, and produce finely toothed green leaves. They are native to the eastern coastline of Queensland.

Scaevola gaudichaudiana (Mountain Naupaka)
These plants are native to mountainous regions in Hawaii, and were first formally described in 1832 by Adelbert von Chamisso, named to honor Charles Chaudichaud-Beaupre. Flowers produced by these plants are white, sometimes with dark purple to violet toned towards their centers. Foliage is green.

Scaevola hookeri (Creeping Fan-Flower, Alpine Fan-Flower)
These prostrate perennials reach just a foot tall at maturity, and send out wandering stems that will root at nodes, eventually forming colonies of plants. Leaves are dark green and fleshy, sometimes with soft, short hairs. Flowers are white to blue, and have yellow throats. The species is native to Australia, and blooms there from November through March.

Scaevola oxyclona (Tangled Fanflower)
This species forms a spiny shrub with many-crossing branches and green, needle-like foliage. It reaches between 4 and 60 inches tall at maturity, and produces blue to purple flowers from August through December in its native range (Western Australia). 

Scaevola taccada (Scaevola sericea) (Beach Cabbage, Beack Naupaka)
These plants are native to mangrove swamps and rocky or sandy coastal areas in the Indo-Pacific. The species forms a large shrub to between 10 and 32 feet tall with succulent, wavy green foliage. Flowers bloom throughout the year, and are white. Fruits that follow are green, maturing to white.

Caring for and pruning Scaevola shrubs

Scaevola shrubs thrive in full sun, but can also tolerate partial shade, especially in the warmest times of the day. For best flowering, ensure that these shrubs receive at least 6 hours of sun each day. Plant in well-draining, loamy soil that is slightly acidic to neutral. The ideal pH for Scaevola shrubs is between 5.8 and 6.2. Keep the soil consistently moist (a layer of organic mulch can help keep moisture in the soil), and water thoroughly when the top inch of soil feels dry. During warmer weather, water more frequently. Although pruning these shrubs is generally not necessary, they can be trimmed to encourage a bushier growth. Deadhead to remove spent flowers as they appear to encourage continued blooming. These plants are not heavy feeders, and excessive fertilization can result in excessive foliage growth at the expense of flowering.

Propagation

Scaevola can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Scaevola by Cutting
  1. Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
  2. In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
  3. Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots. 
  4. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Scaevola by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
  2. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 7-14 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  3. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home
Scaevola seeds are very small.

Problems and Pests

Fairy Fan Flower shrubs are resistant to pests and diseases, although they can be bothered by these common garden pests:
  • Aphids
  • Spider Mites
For information on these issues, including how to eradicate them, consult the following links:
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Gallery

These shrubs produce profuse shows of flowers.
Fan Flower can be grown either in-ground or in containers.
Use Scaevola as a low-traffic area groundcover.

Videos

All about Scaevola aemula shrubs.
Learn about these interesting flowering subshrubs.
How to grow and care for Fan Flower.
Check out this review of Scaevola shrubs.

Resources

Growing Scaevola - How to Plant and Care For Fan Flower
How to Grow and Care for Fan Flower
Wikipedia: Scaevola (plant)
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 593, Scaevola
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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